NSMC warns of likely severe earthquakes after Gwadar tremors

KARACHI: The National Seismic Monitoring Centre (NSMC) of the MET Office, has warned against likelihood of severe earthquake and tsunami in Makran subduction zone near Karachi coast.

It is to be mentioned here that a quake measuring 5.0 on the Richter scale jolted coastal areas of Balochistan on Tuesday night.

The epicentre of the earthquake was 50km south of Gwadar at a depth of 25km in the Makran subduction zone, the NSMC said.

“After a long time an earthquake of this magnitude has been reported in the Makran subduction zone and was felt from Gwadar to Omara,” an official said.

He said the tremors of this magnitude couldn’t produce a tsunami, but urged for preparedness as the seismically active zone had the potential to generate a tsunami anytime.

The Makran subduction zone covered 600km area, starting from Iran up to Sonmiani, the meeting point of the Indian, Eurasian and Arabian tectonic plates.

The department had also carried out drills in the coastal areas for preparedness and had installed sirens at different locations in case of an emergency, official said.

More than 4,000 people were killed along Pakistan’s coast and neighbouring countries, Iran, India and Oman when a tsunami was produced in the Makran subduction zone in 1945.